Book handling mechanism



Dec. 23, 1969 H. A. slcKlNGER ET AL y 3,485,387

BOOK HANDLING MECHANISM s sheets-sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20, 1968 2 lv( lIP55-.Q NN H@ NN N mr ,.wurwm. A ,I n @gf N www u ,u a MYWR Q Dec. 23,1969 H. A. slcKlNGER ET Al. 3,485,387

BOOK HANDLING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 20, 1968 Dec. 23,1969 F'iled Sept. 20, 1968 H. A. SICKINGER ET AL BooK HANDLING MECHANISM5 Sheets-Sheet 5 iii- INVENTORS.

United States Patent O 3,485,387 BOOK HANDLING MECHANISM Hans A.Sickinger and Albert E. Sickinger, Bloomfield Hills, and Armin E.Schmidt, Warren, Mich., asslgnprs to Hans Sickinger Co., Pontiac, Mich.,a corporatlon of Michigan Filed Sept. 20, 1968, Ser. No. 761,046 Int.Cl. 365g 47/52, 57/081 U.S. Cl. 214--1 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF DISCLOSUREBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION i Field of the invention The inventionrelates to transfer mechanisms for spiral or similarly bound -bookswhich are delivered from the binding mechanism and are to be stackedwith the binders of alternate books facing in opposite directions sothat the stack will be even.

Description of the prior art Spiral binder applying machinesconventionally deliver the successive bound books with the sameorientation. In the past it has been necessary for an operator tomanually reverse every other book before the books are stacked so thatthey will stack evenly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises a ramp which receivessuccessive books from the binder applying machine. A flat-sidedreceptacle is mounted at the lower end of this ramp and is rockable4between two positions. In the rst position the open end of thereceptacle is aligned with the ramp so that a book will slide into thereceptacle. In its second position, the receptacle is reversed so thatthe book will slide out, and in this position the upper flat `surface ofthe receptacle is aligned with the ramp. The next book delivered to theramp will thus slide over the receptacle and will not be reversed,A`first sensing switch on the ramp will be responsive to passage of thefirst book which enters the receptacle to cause said reversal of thereceptacle, which will discharge the -irst book in its reversedposition. A second switch responsive to travel of the second book acrossthe top of the reversed receptacle will cause the receptacle to bereturned to its irst position, so that the third book will be handledlike the iirst book and the fourth book like the second book, etc. Thus,the `books will be delivered with `their bindings in alternatepositions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a front elevationalperspective view of a spiral binder applying machine incorporating thetransfer mechanism of this invention, the receptacle being shown in itsreceiving position;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view in perspective of a portion of themechanism, the receptacle being shown in its discharge position;

FIGURE 3 is a side cross-sectional view in elevation of the transfermechanism;

FIGURE 4 is a rear cross-sectional View in elevation taken along theline 4 4 of FIGURE 3, and

3,485,387 Patented Dec. 23, 1969l ice FIGURE 5 is a Wiring diagram ofthe transfer mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The transfer mechanism is shownas being mounted in a spiral binder applying machine generally indicatedat 11 in FIGURE l, this machine having a frame generally indicated at 12adapted to rest on the floor. Components of the machine are described ingreater detail in copending application Ser. No. 662,013, filed Aug. 21,1967 by Hans A. Sickinger and entitled Holding and Releasing Mechanismfor Spiral Binder Applying Machines, this application being assigned tothe same assignee as the present application. Briefly, frame 12 has lefthand and right hand'upright side plates 13 and 14 between which aredisposed the main machine components. These side plates are securedtogether by appropriate cross members such as the upper member 15, shownin FIGURE 1. A wire guide tube 16 is secured to the upper portion offrame 12 adjacent the left hand end thereof, this tube being adapted toguide a wire 17 fed from a spool (not shown). The wire is led downwardlyby a pulley 18 to a wire coiling tool 19. The coiling tool has a mandrelsurrounded by a slotted member, the wire being coiled by the mandrel andexiting at the right hand end of the tool in the form of a spiral binderwhich, as it turns, will pass successively through a series of holes ina package of sheets and covers which then become a book 20 (FIG- URE 2)having a spiral wire binder 21.

In order to hold the package of sheets and covers in place for binding,they are initially placed on a pair of hooks 22 and 23. Hooks 22 and 23will enter holes 24 which are provided in the sheets and covers for thepurpose of using the sheets in a ring book. The hooks are secured to arockable shaft 25, this shaft being actuated by a piston and cylindermotor 26. Hooks 22 and 23 are thus shiftable between an upper positionas shown in FIGURE 1 in which they support the package and. a lowerposition in which the bound book will drop by gravity from the hooks.When the package is initially mounted on the hooks it is clamped firmlyin the area of the spiral binder holes by a pair of elongated clampingand spiral guiding members 27 and 28. Member 27 is fixed while member 28is swingable, being carried by a pair of rods 29 and 31 which aresecured to a rockable shaft 32. FIGURE l shows the clamping members intheir open position, and after the package is mounted on the hooksmember 28 will be swung downwardly to clamp the package in position forbinding. After the `binding has taken place and the cutting meansindicated at 33 and 34 have cut and properly bent the ends of thebinder, member 28 will be swung upwardly and hooks 23 and 24 rocked torelease the bound book.

It should be emphasized that this particular spiral binder applyingmachine is not the only one which could be used with the transfermechanism of this invention. The machine has been described in order toshow the problem which arises when all bound books are discharged in thesame orientation from a binding machine :but cannot be stacked until thebinding edges of alternate books are reversed.

The transfer mechanism comprises an inclined ramp 35 which is securedbetween the forward portions of frame members 13 and 14. This ramp has aforwardly facing vertical portion 36 which enables the operator standingin front of the machine to even up the edges of the sheets and coversbefore they are placed on hooks 22 and 23. Ramp 35 is inclineddownwardly and rearwardly, and a receptacle generally indicated at 37 isrockably mounted in general alignment with the lower end of the ramp.Means for mounting the receptacle 37 comprises a base plate 3S extendingbetween frame members 13 and 14 (FIGURE4) and supported thereon bybracketsr39 and 41. The plate carries a pair of bearings 42 and 43 whichsupport a pair of coaxial shafts 44 and 45 respectively. Receptacle 37is secured to the facing ends of these shafts as seen in FIGURE 4. Moreparticularly, the receptacle is box-shaped with flat upper and lowerplates 46 and 47, a closed end 48 and an open end 49. The size ofreceptacle 37 is such that it will amply accommodate a sing-le book 20which enters opening 49.

Receptacle 37 is so mounted on shafts 44 and 45 that plate 47 thereof isapproximately in a diametral plane of said shafts. When receptacle 37 isin its receiving position, as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 3 and inFIG- URE 4, plate 46 will be above plate 47, whereas in the dischargeposition shown in dot-dash lines in FIGURE 3 and in FIGURE 2, plate 46will be below plate 47. A clearance aperture 51 is provided in baseplate 38 to permit the swinging of receptacle 37 between its positions.

Base plate'38 is approximately parallel to ramp 35, and plates 46 and 47of receptacle 49 are also parallel to these members in both positions.Means are provided for adjusting the distance between base plate 38 andthe lower end of ramp 35. This means is seen best in FIG- URE 3 andcomprises a plurality of studs 52, each having a shoulder 53 at itsupper end supporting the lower end of ramp 35, a projection 54 on thestud entering an aperture in the ramp. The lower ends 55 of the studsare threaded and are secured to the upper portion of -base plate 38 bymeans of nuts 56 and 57. Thus, by adjusting nuts 56 and 57 on stud 52,the distance between the lower end of ramp 35 and base plate 38 may beadjusted. This in turn will adjust the transverse distance between plate46 or 47 and the lower end of the ramp.

The means for rocking receptacle 37 between its positions comprises apiston and cylinder motor 58 secured to one side of base plate 38, thepiston rod 59 of this motor carrying a rack 61 traveling in guides 62and 63 (FIGURE 4) and on a bed 64 carried by the base plate. A gear 65is mounted on shaft 44 outside bearing 42 and meshes with rack 61,Extension of piston rod 59 will thus cause rack 61 to move from itssolid line to its dot-dash line position in FIGURE 3, causing receptacle37 to move from its solid line to its dot-dash line position.

Means are provided for limiting the stroke of piston 59 and therebycontrolling the dot-dash line position of receptacle 37. This meanscomprises an upright member 66 at the upper end of bed 64 and carryingan adjustable stop I67 in the form of a member threadably mounted inupright 66 and carrying a block nut 68. The lower end of this stop has arubber bumper 69 which will be engaged by the end of rack 61, The rackand gear are partially enclosed by a transparent protective guard 70(FIGURE 2).

The means for controlling the shifting of receptacle 37 is seenschematically in FIGURE and comprises a normally open upper sensingswitch 71 and a normally closed lower sensing switch 72. As seen inFIGURES 2 and 3, upper sensing switch 71 is secured to the rearwardsurface of plate portion 36 and has a sensing element 73 which extendsthrough a slot 74 in ramp 35. Sensing element 73 is inclined in such amanner that it will not interfer with the travel of a book sliding onramp 35, but will be actuated thereby to momentarily close switch 71.

Switch 72 is mounted on a bracket 75 carried by a portion of frame 12rearwardly of receptacle 37. This switch has a downwardly extendingsensing element 76 which will be engaged =by a book sliding down plate47 of receptacle 37, when the receptacle is in its `dotdash lineposition of FIGURE 3. However, sensing element 76 is too high to beactuated by a book which is being discharged from receptacle 37 throughits opening 49, when the receptacles 71 and 72 are connected in parallelbetween electrical power lines 77 and 78 (FIGURE 5). A contact relay CRis connected in series with switches 71 and 72 and operate a normallyopen holding switch 79 in series with switch 72. An electricallyoperated dualaction time delay mechanisrnTD is'lalso connected in serieswith switches 71 and 72 and in -parallel with `Contact relay CR. Timedelay mechanism TD controls the opening and closing of a switch 81 inseries with a solenoid 82 which operates a valve 83. This valve controlsthe supply and exhaust of fluid to the head end of motor 58 so thatsupply of fluid to the. cylinder will cause movement of receptacle 37from its receiving to its discharging position. A spring 84 in the motorwill return the `piston rod and rack to their retracted position, thusreturning the receptacle to its receiving position,

In operation, an operator will take the stack of sheets and covers andeven up their edges against wall 36. The operator will then hang thepack of sheets and covers on hooks 22 and 23 which will be in theirupright position. Clamping and guiding member 28 will then be swungdownwardly to clamp the pack in position, and the spiral wire binderwill be fed through the holes in the stack and be properly cut. Member28 will be retracted and hooks 22 and 23 swung downwardly to dischargethe bound book.

Assuming that the parts are initially in the solid line position ofFIGURE 3, the book, descending on ramp 35 with the spiral binderuppermost or trailing, will momentarily actuate switch 71 by engagementwith sensing member 73. Closure of switch 71 will energize contact relayCR which in turn will close holding switch 79. Since switch 72 isnormally closed, CR will remain energized even after switch 71 opens.Closure of switch 79 will also energize time delay mechanism TD, whichafter a time delay wi-ll close switch 81. By that time, book 20 willhave entered receptacle 37.

Closure of switch 81 will energize solenoid 82, pressurizing motor 58and causing rack 61 to rotate receptacle 37 to its discharge position.Book 20 will then slide out of the receptacle with the binder foremost,passing along base plate 38 and onto a receiver such as a transverselymoving conveyor shown partially at 85 in FIGURE 2 which could move thebook to a stacking station. Various stacking or conveying means could beemployed to receive the books 20 being discharged from the transfermechanism. It should be noted that the book 20 discharged fromreceptacle 37 will not engage sensing member 76 of switch 72, but willpass below this sensing member.

While the transfer mechanism is operating in the manner aforesaid, theoperator will be loading the next group of sheets and covers into thebinder applying mechanism. When this next book 20 is discharged from thebinding mechanism. When this next book 20 is discharged from the bindingmechanism, it will slide down ramp 35 like the previous book with thebinder trailing and will momentarily close switch 71; however, this willnot cause any change since CR is already energized. The book will slideoif ramp 35 onto plate 47 of receptacle 37 and will continue the travel,sliding off plate 47, engaging sensing member 76 and then sliding ontobase plate 38 and olf this base plate to the stacking or conveyingmeans.

The momentary opening of switch 72 will deenergize contact relay CR,thus permitting switch 79 to open, so that when switch 72 again closesthe contact relay will remain deenergized. Moreover, opening of switch72 will again actuate time delay mechanism TD which after a time delaywill open switch 81. (An example of a time delay relay TD which could beused is the Agastat time delay relay Model No. 2432-ABB manufactured byElastic Stop Nut Corp., Agastat Division, Elizabeth, NJ.) This willcause shifting of valve 83 to exhaust motor 58, so that spring 84 canreturn rack 61 to its retracted position, shifting receptacle 37 back toits receiving position in readiness for another cycle.

It will thus be seen that as successive books drop onto ramp 35 with thesame orientation, they will be delivered from plate 38 with successivelyopposite orientations as far as the spiral wire binder 21 is Concerned.

What is claimed is:

1. In a transfer mechanism, a downwardly inclined ramp, a receptacle atthe lower end of said ramp, said receptacle having a flat side, a closedend and an open end, means for moving said receptacle between areceiving position in which its open end faces the lower end of saidramp and said closed end is lowermost, and a discharge position in whichsaid flat side is contiguous with said ramp and said open end islowermost, means responsive to arrival of a lirst article on said rampand passage thereof into said receptacle when in its receiving positionfor moving said receptacle to its discharge position, and meansresponsive to arrival of a second article on said ramp and passage ofsaid second article across said flat receptacle side for returning saidreceptacle to its receiving position, whereby said first and said secondarticles will leave said receptacle with opposite orientations.

2. The combination according to claim 1, said means for moving saidreceptacle comprising a rockable mount for the receptacle, areciprocable motor for rocking said receptacle between its positions,said article-responsive means comprising an upper sensing switchresponsive to arrival of an article on said ramp, means responsive toactuation of said upper sensing switch to operate said motor so as toshift the receptacle to its discharge position and to disenable saidupper sensing switch, and a lower sensing switch responsive to passageof an article across said flat side of the receptacle to operate themotor so as to return said receptacle to its receiving position tore-enable said upper sensing switch.

3. The combination according to claim 2, said reciprocable motor beinguid actuated, a valve for controlling the supply and exhaust of fluid tosaid motor, and a time delay mechanism controlled by both of saidsensing switches for operating said valve.

4. In a mechanism for transferring books discharged from a bindingmechanism with the same binding orientation, an inclined ramp forreceiving the discharged books, a receptacle having a closed end, anopen end and ilat sides, means rockably supporting said receptacleadjacent the lower end of said ramp, means for rocking said receptaclebetween a receiving position in which its open end faces the ramp andits closed end is lowermost, and a discharge position in which the openend is lowermost and faces away from said ramp and one flat side of thereceptacle is substantially contiguous with the ramp so that a book mayslide olf the ramp and onto said flat side, the receptacle in bothpositions being substantially parallel to said ramp, means responsive toarrival of a rst bound book on said ramp and entry thereof into saidreceptacle for causing said rocking means to move the receptacle to itsdischarge position, and means responsive to arrival of a second boundbook on said ramp and passage thereof across said flat receptacle sidecontiguous with the ramp for causing said rocking means to move thereceptacle back to its receiving position, whereby successive books willleave said receptacle with opposite binding orientations.

5. The combination according to claim 4, the means for rockablysupporting said receiptacle including a bed plate, a pair of bearingsmounted on said bed plate and supporting shaft means to which saidreceptacle is secured, and a clearance aperture in said bed plate forsaid receptacle.

6. The combination according to claim S, further provided with means foradjusting the transverse distance between said ramp and bed plate, saidadjusting means comprising a plurality of posts adjustablysecured tosaid bed plate and supporting said ramp.

7. The combination according to claim 4, said means for rocking thereceptacle comprising a reciprocable uid motor, a rack and gearconnecting said iluid motor to said receptacle, and adjustable stopmeans limiting the movement of said rack and gear in one direction,whereby the corresponding position of said receptacle may be controlled.

8. The combination according to claim 7, further provided with a bedplate supporting said reciprocable motor and rack, said means forrockably supporting said receptacle comprising bearings on said bedplate rotatably supporting said gear and receptacle, said adjustablestop means comprising a screw adjustably mounted on said bed plate andcarrying a bumper portion engageable by said rack.

9. The combination according to claim 4, said bookresponsive meanscomprising a normally open upper sensing switch having a sensing elementpassing through an apertured portion of said ramp and engageable by abook sliding down the ramp, a normally closed lower sensing switchhaving a sensing element engageable by a book sliding oil the flat sideof said. receptacle contiguous with said ramp when the receptacle is inits discharge position but not engageable by a book sliding out of saidreceptacle, a time delay mechanism actuatable by momentary closure ofsaid upper sensing switch and controlling actuation of said receptaclerocking means to move the receptacle to its discharge position, andmeans responsive to momentary opening of said lower sensing switch aftersaid receptacle has been moved to its discharge position for reactuatingsaid time delay mechanism to cause said motor to move the receptacleback to its receiving position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1l/1932 Bogoslowsky.

2/1968 Dallape et al. 214-1 U.S. Cl. X.R. 2l4--6.5

